This karaoke joint has been in business for a few months now…
…and everytime I pass by the place, the one-time monster hit of the group called Search would come to mind. I remember the torturous hours at the Spice Bazaar karaoke pub here when all the Amy-wannabes would screech the whole night through sounding like they were being strangled by ghosts (dicekik hantu) or something.
I did not think the song was that great until I came across this revamped version some years later…
The guy conducting the orchestra looks like THE Johari Salleh – some of you may know him from his days with RTM.
Before this, the only Malay rock songs that I liked were “Kamelia” and “Sejuta Wajah” by the Godfather of Rock, Ramli Sarip who was with a band called Sweet Charity at the time…and I also loved Gersang’s “Suratan Takdir” and “Masih ku terasa” (featuring Man Bai who went solo eventually and is best known for his very popular “Kau Ilhamku“). But it was not until “Isabella” that Malay rock songs really made it big in the local music scene.
Then, all kinds of rock groups appeared, crawling out of the woodworks – one of them being Wings with the then very slim and good looking Awie. One of their best known hits would, of course, be “Sejati“. Others include Iklim with “Suci dalam debu” and Spring and their “Sampai Hati“. Maybe some of you have your own personal favourites from that era?
Lately, I have been out of touch with the Malay music scene. Though there have been some songs that I love, I don’t think any of them belongs to this rock genre. I wonder if the Malay pop rock as I knew it at the time, is still alive and kicking….
Oh gosh! Talking about all those Malay songs is making me crave for some sumptuous Malay breakfast. I think I’ll just hop over after this to Peter’s Cafe in Sungai Antu for that old lady’s nasi lemak special…
Yum! Yum!…..LOL!!!
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Yay! Am I the FC? Well…Isabella. Although I am considered young..I did listen to the song. It’s such a damn huge hit back then. It’s correct for you labeled it as a monster. Ha π
Ya…tit for tat! I was FC at your blog too! Hehehehehe!!! Monster hit is the expression used for those songs that become really very famous/popular… I think Isabella is going to be one of those evergreens – songs that people will still play or sing for a long, long time.
Arrggg…..it’s been a week since I tasted any Nasi lemak! Why do you wanna show me the photo? No……no…..
Good morning Suituapui!
Good morning to you too! Hahahahaha!!! I enjoy taunting and torturing people! Shouldn’t be a problem – I’m sure you have nasi lemak everywhere over there! LOL!!!
Of all the songs u mentioned, Isabella is the only song i m familiar with.. during younger days, i love sharifah aini’s songs… tiada esok untukmu or something like that.. surat terakhir.. then later stage, i listen to indonesian songs like sijantung hati, benci tapi rindu and one or 2 others i used to croon over last last time.. π brings back old memories…
talking about songs, why must bring up a plate of nasi lemak, stp!! very torturing esp it is only 8.20am now… aaahhh….stomach growling now…
Ooi, M’am! You’re confused with those Jin Shamsuddin’s movies lah! Sharifah Aini’s is “Tiada maaf bagimu”. I love her songs too…and Salamiah Hassan’s “Surat Terakhir”. Gee! That’s an old one!!! LOL!!!…And I do like the Indon ballads too since the days of the movie – “Akhir sebuah impian” but yucks! Don’t fancy the karaoke faves “Singkong dan keju” and that “Anak singkong”! Hahahahahaha…feeling hungry eh? Good!
hey..sorry for the mistake.. moong cha cha.. blur cos short memory already since my hairstyle changed.. π heeeeyyy.. now no more hungry.. office gave free bfast, nasi goreng with ayam goreng, everything goreng.. nanti boss also goreng…
Wow! Where do you work?…Any vacancy there? Hahahahahaha!!!
Kau Ilhamku is my karaoke must-sing Malay song apart from Mungkin Nanti (by Peter Pan) and Belaian Jiwa (Inuendo). I cannot sing Isabella lor, will bring down the sky if I do. Hahaha! Not into rock so don’t know much about it though some of the names sound familiar. Hehehe!!!
Hey! I have the karaoke vcds!!! But for “Belaian Jiwa”, it’s the original version by Carefree – the arrangement’s not as nice. So when I go over to Kuching, we can go croaking eh? Hahahahaha!!!!
Excuses excuses… want to eat nasi lemak just eat lar, no need to blame the malay songs. hahaha.
Isabella….. a must sing in the karaoke, but only when drunk. haha. Rivalled only by Aerosmith’s “I don’t want to miss a Thing”. kekek.
Clare…. we sing the same Malay songs. Its quite hard to find Innuendo’s version of Belaian Jiwa… they normally have Carefree’s version.
ROTFLMAO!!! I had that the other day, just wanna torture everybody! Hahahahaha!!! Ya, I have the Carefree’s version of “Belaian Jiwa” on vcd too. Btw, Clare, you must listen to KNB’s rendition of “Mungkin Nanti” – puts Ariel to shame!!!….So KNB, make sure you arrange a karaoke session when I go to Kuching again, eh? LOL!!!
Okay man! Aerosmith’s “I don’t want to miss a thing” is also my must-sing for croaking session! Hahahaha!!! Normally duet with a guy lar to balance off the screeching or else their speaker will self-combust. LOL!!!
Wow! THAT…I must hear! TOC’s sis (compared to whom, Christmas trees are still tall) does it very well…especially when she has had a bit too much to drink! Hahahahahaha!!!!
Once, Gundot and Lindy went karaoke with me and some of the others and Lindy asked how come we sang better and better as the night went on. Wondered whether the drinks improved our singing or affected her hearing! ROTFLMAO!!!
OOh i just had my nasi lemak just now. But the telur goreng mata kerbau not as nice as the one you had here…
I don’t like it when they do it on a hot plate these days, using a ring…in which they put the egg. In the end, you get a cylindrical egg with the yolk in the middle – usually overcooked. I prefer it if they use the wok and fry the egg in hot oil…so there will be the golden edges and the yolk is still nice and runny… Yum!!! LOL!!!
Wah, your new secret hangout arrr, Isabella Kr’ok? Got GRO or not….he he he!
Dunno, I’ve never been in the place. Hey! I’m a decent fella’ lah…not like you, Lisa De’ Inn kaki…!!! Hahahahahaha!!!!
what does nasi lemak & malay songs have in common?….confusing…anyway nowadays i also dont know much about the local music scene…hardly listen to local malay songs nowadays. i still prefer the old timers like search, wings, sudirman…just to name a few…….now i feel like singing….
You…always listen to Klasik FM, already so old, that’s why!!! Hahahahahaha!!!!
Muahahahw.. i don’t even feel like touching nasi lemak.. still getting sick of it from national service. Hm.. speaking of malay songs, i know some too !! Negaraku, Ibu Pertiwiku, UiTM Di HatiKu… haha… not bad eh ? hahaha
UiTM?….That’s the one with the H1N1 outbreak, izzit? Eeeee….!!!! LOL!!! I wonder if you know all the words to Ibu Pertiwiku… I don’t! My time, the anthem was “Fair land, Sarawak…” Hahahahaha!!!!
Hard-boiled eggs for nasi lemak!! Why do they fry? More time, more oil!
Dunno…. Only those sold in packets/banana leaf, they’ve got hard boiled eggs! I don’t mind! I love eggs – no matter how they cook it!
aiyoooo… the nasi lemak looks sooo dangerouss!!! π
i grew up with all these malay rock songs… i still fond of them, and can sing by heart haha!!
Why? It looks good? Bet you can find a lot better ones over there… Hah! I don;t know the lyrics of songs these days, never bother to memorise…since got karaoke – can see the lyrics on the screen! Masuk “Jangan lupa lirik”, sure k-o!!! LOL!!!
Isabella! Here is 4-D for u,1386!hehehe! Jamal Abdillah, always think he can sing n this song is very nice too. bought Siti Nurhaliza’s cd long ago n one of her songs Bukan Cinta Biasa also very good, not to mention singers like Sharifah,Broery,….n used to like that Dangdut’s guy too, forgot his name now, dangut a bit like reggae’s music….
Ya, I wonder what the name of the place is…in Chinese. Dangdut guy? Dunno who you’re referring to…. Zainal Abidin? His “Hijau” is very nice!
I can tolerate with original version of Isabella but i really, really hate Amy’s other song, Fantasia Bulan Madu… yikes!
One thing I can’t understand, these malay band often label them as a rock band but their song is too melancholic, so mendayu-dayu…
Slow rock mah! Like Scorpions…or Deep Purple’s “Soldier of Fortune” or “When a blind man cries”… I must say that I do not like most of them though – like dicekik hantu. Only like a few…and other songs not in the rock genre.
No comment………………
See my link on Facebook. BDQ said something so very sweet about you…
LOL! Actually I visited this morning about 6.45 but no post yet. Have been busy the whole day!!!!
Ya, I woke up after 7. Slept through the storm – they said got thunder and lightning! I did not hear a thing! Hahahahahaha!!!! Rain all morning, so nice and cool here!
i love Isabella! π
but the original version.
the nasi lemak is so tempting!
To each his own! I like the orchestral arrangement in the newer version – gives it a bit of class. Lots of nasi lemak all over Penang, a lot nicer!
I am not so into Malay songs. But the Nasi Lemak is really attracted my attention. Will go buy it when I want to have nasi lemak! Hungry now…only had a pau for breakfast which cannot fill half of my big stomach. π
You have a big stomach? You’re fat like me too…???